Before the Moon Falls
by Renrin Taiho
Summary: How Link and Kafei met and how their relationship developed. Based on Alys Lynn's "Forbidden Love" series.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** _Ok, I know I still need to write Vampire's Curse, but the chapters are so hard to think of and, to be perfectly honest, I'm kind of sick of the storyline. On top of that, there's no reviews, and while people have favorited it, I still don't know what people think of it. C'est la vie. I'll get back to writing it eventually._

_I seriously cannot think of a name for this, so that's its name for now until I can. This is a prequel to Alys Lynn's wonderful series "Forbidden Love". This was done with her permission, so no saying it's copyright infringement. Hopefully it lives up to her expectations as well as those of her fans._

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own LoZ:MM. Kafei would've been with Link if I did._

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Chapter 1**

After exiting the clock tower, Link leaned against the stone, happy to have his body back and digesting everything he had just heard. If Majora's Mask was so dangerous, why had the Happy Mask salesman been so careless with it? Tatl interrupted his thoughts by making that bell sound of hers, and he looked over at her. "What?"

"That mask…the skull kid uses the power of that mask to do those terrible things…" she said, more to herself than to Link judging by her soft tone. He could almost imagine a forlorn look on her face and was about to say something when she continued. "Well, whatever it takes, we gotta do something about it. The swamp, mountain, ocean and canyon that Tael was trying to tell us about…I bet he was referring to the four areas just outside of town. There's one in each compass direction." Link nodded, then frowned as he remembered something else Tatl's brother had said.

"But…what do you suppose he meant by 'the four who are there'?" He heard Tatl snort, more with annoyance than amusement.

"I have no idea. He always skips the important stuff. I guess we should just go and find out…" Link nodded again and kicked himself off the wall, rotating his shoulders. It felt good to be human instead of a Deku. At least he didn't have to worry about the dog in town attacking him anymore. They looked towards the gate in front of them.

"If we go through that gate straight ahead, we should be headed in the direction of the swamp…" Tatl muttered. Link headed to the gate, eager to get this over with so he could continue on his own journey to find Navi. But, being the nice guy he was, he couldn't leave the Mask salesman like this after the man had helped him. Plus, if he didn't do something, the world would most likely be destroyed. He looked up at the moon, wondering how long it would take to fall this time. Before, it had only taken three days, but this time it seemed much further away then it had been. He figured it would take at least three or four months if not longer to fall, which was a huge relief to him. At least he wouldn't have to play the Song of Time often. He continued walking, still looking up at the moon, and ran headlong into someone. That someone caught his arm before he fell and he looked up to see…A Keaton? Wait, Keaton's didn't have hands. Or hair. And if they could have hair, it certainly wouldn't be blue. He blinked and his eyes refocused on a boy his age wearing a Keaton mask.

"Are you alright?" the boy asked. Link nodded and smiled, a little embarrassed about not paying attention to his surroundings.

"Yeah, sorry about that, it was my fault anyway." The boy released Link's arm and nodded, then turned and walked up some stairs Link hadn't noticed previously. He blinked and tilted his head to the side, surprised by the boy's attitude. He felt Tatl land on his shoulder and heard her scoff.

"What a snob. Didn't even apologize for running into you." Link raised an eyebrow at her.

"Tatl, I ran into him…"

"So? He should still apologize! Oh well, whatever. Come on, we have a swamp to get to."

-x:x-

Link jumped to the side to avoid the temple boss's sword, rolling forward under his shield to attack his legs, which unfortunately was the only thing he could reach while this small. The huge monster growled and managed to get his shield back between him and Link, sending the boy flying when he pushed him away. He landed on his back with a solid thud, his left shoulder gushing blood from where the other's sword had thrust into it without him noticing, successfully getting the wind knocked out of him. As he gasped for air, he heard the monster begin to chant again, summoning more of his moths.

Link pushed himself to his feet and ran over to one of the bomb plants circling the area. As he pulled one out, it lit itself and the moths swarmed it. A few bit him, but he rushed towards the boss once again, charging his sword with his magic. Letting the energy go, he spun on his heel, and with that final spin he defeated Odolwa. Link stared at his fallen enemy for a moment before falling to his knees himself.

-x:x-

"Link! I told you, you should've gone to the Great Fairy near Woodfall Temple!" Tatl exclaimed as her young partner fell yet again due to his wounds. It had been hours since they had left the temple, since Link had been hurt, unable to leave the swamp thanks to that pushy Deku Princess demanding to be taken to her father. Holding his aching shoulder that was caked with dried blood, Link had to agree with her. He really should have gone to the Fairy, but he didn't feel up to flying in his deku shrub form. Not with the wound on his shoulder as bad as it was, along with his other various cuts and bruises. He looked at it again, trying to see how bad it was, but with the sun already down and it being covered in blood, there was no way to tell. And it was too late to turn back now.

"We're almost to the town… There's the Great Fairy there… I'll go to her." He stood, his legs muscles screaming in protest, and began to stumble towards Clock Town's southern gate. As he reached it, he was overwhelmed by dizziness once again and would've collapsed if he hadn't already reached the wall. Using that as support, he continued down the tunnel until the guard stopped him.

"Sir! You're wounded! Please, stay here and allow me to get help for...Sir?" The guard seemed confused as Link continued to walk forward, ignoring him completely. The guard would've forcibly stopped him if Tatl hadn't gotten in his face.

"Leave him alone! He knows what he's doing, so shove off!" And, even though he couldn't see it, she stuck her tongue out at him. Turning her back to the guard however, she looked at her companion in worry. _At least I hope so…_

Link continued to stumble through south Clock Town, almost tripping over the deku flower near the western entrance of town.

"Stupid thing…" He muttered as he passed it, still feeling dizzy. His shoulder throbbed painfully and he gritted his teeth. _Hopefully I can make it to the Fairy before I pass out…_ He slowly made his way up the steps, holding his shoulder, and when he got to the owl statue, he had to pause for a moment to catch his breath. _This is crazy! I can't have lost that much blood…_ He pushed off of the owl statue and continued up the second set of steps to the north side of town, not noticing that his shoulder was freely bleeding again and that he had left a bloody handprint on the statue's head.

-x:x-

The boy heard a guard shouting. He stopped to listen to what was going on just inside the entrance to the Laundry Pool, wondering who would be causing trouble at this time of night. He frowned deeply behind his mask and cursed his luck softly. He knew he should've gone to the Great Fairy earlier, but he didn't like traveling through town during the day. Someone could recognize him, even with his mask. It wasn't as if blue hair was a common color in his town. He shook his head and forced himself to listen to the guard, but he wasn't shouting anymore. The boy smiled. Maybe now it would be safe to go. Gripping the strap of the bag he had over his shoulder tightly, he exited the Laundry Pool and started to head towards the Fairy.

As he was walking up the stairs that led to the second entrance to west Clock Town, however, he noticed water droplets on them. No, something darker than water. He paused briefly, kneeling down to examine what they were and pushing the front of his mask up, revealing narrowed crimson eyes. He touched one of the droplets and was surprised to find the liquid warm. With a strange sensation crawling it's way into his stomach, he raised his finger up to his nose to smell it and gasped. Blood.

He stood quickly, now able to identify that strange sensation as fear and nausea. Slightly disturbed, he continued up the steps until he came to the owl statue. His eyes widened when he saw an almost perfect handprint of blood on the statue's head. Shivering now, he quickly made his way up the rest of the steps, pushing down the Keaton mask to hide his disgusted look. When he looked at the ground again, there was even more blood, and this time bloody footprints. Whoever was hurt was hurt bad and was loosing blood rapidly.

"Lucky they're headed in the right direction," he mumbled softly as he saw that the footsteps were going the same way he was. Which meant he might have to wait to see the Fairy. But if it meant the choice between someone's life and him being a child for just a little while longer, he could wait. Despite what some may think of him, he wasn't heartless. Again, he shook his head and continued into North clock town.

As usual, that kid was there again, still blowing that stupid blowgun at that same balloon. The boy stopped when he saw him, though.

"Hey, kid!" He stopped and closed his eyes, counting to ten before turning around. He hated being called a kid, even when he had been a child.

"What?" The other boy was looking at him strangely, like he had never seen anyone in a mask before. Then he blinked and frowned.

"Why are you wearing a mask? Where are you going?" The blue haired boy raised an eyebrow, even though he knew the other couldn't see it.

"Why does it matter?"

"Well, if you're going to see the Great Fairy, you gotta wait. Another kid wearing a green hat went in there about a minute ago. He looked like he was banged up pretty bad, too…Hope he's ok." And with that, the boy turned back to his balloon and continued to try to pop it. The blue haired one blinked at him a few times then thought back on his words. A kid with a green hat? It couldn't be the one he bumped into at the beginning of the week, could it? He shrugged it off, turning to the Great Fairy's Fountain. _Looks like I'll have to wait._

He walked over to the tree near the deku shrub playground and sat down, leaning against it with his bag close to his side. He glanced down at it briefly before turning his attention back to the Fountain. _Maybe…I shouldn't have brought this with me. But if the Great Fairy is able to break my curse, then I must go to Anju immediately._ Still, he frowned, unable to keep away the sensation that something bad might happen to it. Sighing and getting annoyed with himself for being paranoid, he relaxed against the tree, wondering how long he was going to have to wait.

Even though it had only been about five minutes since he sat down near the tree, the boy was starting to feel tired. He hadn't been able to sleep properly since this curse had been placed on him, and it was starting to take its toll. His head kept nodding forward, despite his best efforts to stay alert. He blinked a few times, his eyes stinging a bit, and looked over to the Fountain again. There was a silhouette at the entrance and the boy smiled tiredly. He got up and grabbed his bag, starting to head over to the earthen ramp leading to the fountain when a man stepped in front of him, grinning widely. The boy stepped back to avoid running into him and went to side step him, but the man blocked his way again.

"Excuse me," he muttered, trying to pass the man again. This time, instead of blocking him, the man grabbed his bag and tore it from his grip. "Hey, wait!"

The grinning man literally _danced _away from his flailing hands, preventing him from grabbing the bag back, then started to head towards the gate leading to Ikana Canyon. "Stop!"

-x:x-

Link felt better. Not a hundred percent, but at least he wasn't close to passing out. His shoulder was still sore from being injured for so long, but the mild pain would pass after a good night's rest. Tatl was certainly relieved, too, although she showed it by griping at him as usual.

"Next time, go to the Great Fairy _before_ leaving the area if you get hurt." Link rolled his eyes and rubbed at his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get -"

"_Stop!_" Link's head shot up as he looked around for who had shouted. It was the Keaton masked boy from earlier that week, and he was being robbed from! Link gritted his teeth and pulled his sword from the sheath on his back, jumping from the ramp to attempt to cut the man off at the same time the guard stepped forward, spear at the ready. The man's grin faltered a little when he noticed he was surrounded, but then it returned to full strength as he pulled a small dagger from behind his back and lunged at the guard, who didn't see him move in time. The man knocked the guard's helmet off first, then slashed at his face. As the guard howled in pain, Link stepped forward, ready to strike, but the man was too quick for him even, in this weakened state. He sidestepped the sword and plunged his dagger into Link's already sore shoulder. He cried out in pain and dropped his sword, clutching at his shoulder. He heard a grunt and then someone land on the ground next to him hard, then running footsteps. The thief had escaped.

"Damn it…" Link opened his eyes and saw Keaton-boy sitting on the ground next to him, face turned down. The boy was bent over, holding his stomach, and Link assumed the grunt he had heard had been the thief kicking him. Link winced as he tried to move his shoulder, his arm going slightly numb. _Great…I just got it healed, too._ Momentarily ignoring his pain, he turned towards Keaton-boy again.

"What was in the bag?" he asked softly. The other boy's head shot up and around towards him, like he had forgotten anyone else was there. Then he looked down again.

"A mask. An important mask." Link frowned and cocked his head to the side.

"If it was so important, why did you have it with you? And more importantly, why are you out so late at night?" Link knew he was being nosey, but he couldn't help it. Keaton-boy stood abruptly, ignoring his questions and heading back to southern Clock Town. Link stood as well, albeit a little slower. "Hey, wait, don't go." The boy didn't stop. Link was about to follow him, but Tatl got in his way.

"Link, wait! You need to get your shoulder fixed up again," she said, tugging at his hair to get him to the Fountain again. Link scowled.

"Fine, but you follow him and tell me where he went later, okay?"

"Got it." She took off after Keaton-boy, leaving Link to sigh at the mess he had gotten himself into again. Pierced twice in the same shoulder on the same day. Just his luck. He heard a groan to his left and was surprised to see the guard just barely picking himself up off the ground. He sighed again, wincing when his shoulder muscles stretched, then walked over to the guard. Might as well have company this time.

-x:x-

'Keaton-boy' ran back to the Laundry Pool, cursing himself a fool for bringing the mask along with him. He had just _known_ something bad was going to happen to it, and he had been right. He sprinted across the small bridge and over to the door where he had been staying since he had been cursed. He took a small silver key from his pocket and unlocked the door, quickly locking it again as soon as he was inside. Then he ran up the stairs, ripped the Keaton mask from his face and threw himself upon the small bed that was in the corner of the room, punching the pillow occasionally as he cried into it.

"Damn it all!" He punched the pillow harder, but it did nothing to relieve his anger and frustration at his carelessness.

-x:x-

As soon as he came out of the Fountain, (after getting berated by the Great Fairy for getting injured _right after_ she had healed him) Link was almost blinded by the ball of yellow light that was Tatl. Link clamped his eyes shut to block out the sudden brightness, scowling once again.

"Tatl, are you _trying_ to blind me?" He heard her scoff and opened his eyes a fraction, making sure she was no longer directly in front of him, opening them fully once he did.

"Here I am, trying to tell you something you told me to find out, and you're complaining about me being too bright? Well, fine. That's the last time I do something helpful for you." She showed him her wings (and back), and his scowl faded into a concerned smile.

"I'm sorry. I was kidding, you know." He resisted the urge to touch one of her wings, knowing from Navi that fairies didn't like that very much. She turned back to face him, and he guessed she was no longer angry. "Can you please tell me where he went?"

"He headed to the Laundry Pool. You remember the door that was there, right?" Link thought for a moment.

"The one that was always locked?" Tatl bobbed up and down, and he could only assume she had nodded.

"That's the one. He had a key for it, but before I could follow him inside he shut it again. He's fast, that one." Link nodded to show he had heard her, then headed down the ramp and to the entrance to south Clock Town. "Wait, you're going there now?!"

Link turned, walking backwards into the tunnel. "Yeah, why not? I wanna find out who he is and help him get that mask of his back."

"Link," Tatl began, sounding irritated. "I wouldn't bother. He doesn't seem worth the headache. And you shouldn't walk backwards, you might- " Link stumbled and almost fell down the steps leading to the clock tower and owl statue. " -get hurt again… You know, why do I even bother warning you about certain things? Do whatever you want." He grinned sheepishly at her.

"Whoops. I'll be careful from now on, don't worry. The Great Fairy wasn't too happy with me, either." Tatl snorted.

"I can imagine."

Link's smiled widened a bit before he turned around, then felt it fade completely as he looked down at the ground. "Whoa…I really did loose a lot of blood, didn't I?"

"You could say that." Tatl said, noncommittally. "It's little wonder you didn't pass out." He stopped near the owl statue and looked around in amazement at how much blood was around and on it. Looked like something had been maimed by a wild animal and then eaten, there was so much. He shook himself, then sidestepped the rather large puddle of blood in front of the statue before continuing down the steps.

"You said he headed for the Laundry Pool?" He felt Tatl land on his shoulder and heard her give a small yawn.

"Yep." He looked at her, blinking at the brightness of her being so close again, waiting for her to continue. When she didn't, he frowned, but ignored it and continued to his destination.

As he was crossing over the bridge at the Laundry Pool, he looked over at the little door in the corner. He had wondered for the past three days what was behind it, always being unable to open it. _Well, I'm about to find out._ He slowed his pace as he neared the door, his steps becoming somewhat hesitant, even though he had nothing to be nervous about. _Knock it off, Link. You're acting weird._ Blaming the strangeness on blood-loss, he knocked on the door and waited. When no one answered, he knocked again. And again. And _again_. He scowled at the door, contemplating kicking it in if he had to knock again when it opened a bit and he could see one red, bloodshot eye and a startling pale face beneath messy blue hair.

"What do you want?" There was no mistaking the voice, even if it was thick with emotion and un-muffled by a mask. It was Keaton-boy.

"Mind if I come in? It would be kinda awkward to talk to you through a door." The eye narrowed at him.

"Yes, I mind. Leave me alone." The face moved away and the door started to close before Link stopped it with his foot. He could hear a soft growl from behind it. "Go away."

"I want to help you. I feel like it's my fault you lost your mask. Please?" He heard the other boy sigh, then heard footsteps moving away. Link smiled a little and he entered the…hallway? Well, that certainly wasn't what he had been expecting. He blinked a few times, trying to get used to the dim lighting, then followed a staircase leading up to a small room. Keaton-boy was sitting on a small bed that was nestled in the corner of the room, with his Keaton mask lying on the floor, the string that held it to his face broken.

The boy looked miserable. His hair was a mess and his eyes were blood-shot and Link assumed he had been crying. But, aside from that, this boy was the prettiest boy he had seen in his life, even over Sheik. His skin was almost porcelain in color, and his crimson eyes were breathtaking. Link shook his head, trying to clear it, then smiled at him. "Mind if I sit down?"

The boy looked up at him, then shrugged and made a 'go ahead' gesture while looking down once more. Link crossed over to the bed and sat next to him. "Um… I'm sorry about your mask. Like I said before, I'd like to help you get it back."

"You don't have to. I can get it back on my own."

"I know, but I want to." The boy looked up at him again, blinking a few times. Then he sighed a bit and smiled softly.

"Thank you. What's your name?" Link smiled back.

"My name's Link, and this- "

"I'm Tatl." The yellow fairy interrupted, making Link frown at her.

"I was about to say that..." He sighed, then looked back at the other boy, who was now grinning. "Anyway, what's _your_ name?" The boy's smile faded a little and he looked away briefly before meeting Link's gaze once more.

"Kafei."

* * *

**A/N:**_ To be honest, I'm surprised this chapter is as long as it is. Please don't kill me if future chapters aren't as long. Also, this is my first time writing for this fandom as well as any sort of fight scene, so hopefully it's not too horrible. Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this, and leave reviews if you do!_  
_~Renrin~_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N:_ Ok, no excuse to the three month wait other than the fact that I got a bad bit of writer's block. Sorry about that, guys. ^.^; Anyway, here's the long awaited chapter two. Again, I do not own the character's or the like, and I'm certainly not making any profit off of this. This was made by a fan for fans. Enjoy.

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Chapter two**

A few days had passed since Kafei's mask had been stolen, but neither boy was any closer to finding the thief than Link was to finding Navi. And it irritated Link to no end. Every time someone in town would say that the man he described sounded familiar, they were never able to say where he was from. It was just one dead end after another. On top of that, the moon had moved more than Link had expected it to. Now he estimated that it would be four months at most before it fell again, which meant he only had sixteen weeks to find Kafei's mask _and_ find all four of the Giants. If he were unable to do either, he would have no choice but to play the Song of Time again.

Early one night, while he and Kafei were sitting on the small bridge outside of his 'house' together, Kafei caught him staring at the evil moon.

"Do you think it'll fall? It seems to have gotten closer since the last time I looked up at it," Kafei stated softly, also looking up. Link blinked then looked at him, somewhat startled by the question. Kafei glanced at him and he hid his worry with a smile.

"No way. That kind of thing only happens in nightmares," he said, trying to laugh it off, but Kafei wasn't fooled.

"You're a horrible liar, aren't you?" he asked, watching Link's face closely. Link's smile slid off his face as he struggled to find an answer for him. Then he sighed and looked down into the water. Kafei was about to say something when he spoke first, almost inaudibly.

"It will fall…" He heard Kafei's sharp intake of breath and didn't have to look over at the other boy to know that he was shocked. Link continued to stare at the water, at the moon's reflection in it, waiting for Kafei to say something.

"H…How can you be so certain?" the blue haired boy breathed, as if whispering would somehow mean that the moon would stay where it belonged. Link glanced at him, then up at the moon and glared at it. "Link?"

Link closed his eyes, trying but unable to stop himself from remembering what happened a little over a week ago. "Because, I've seen it fall…" He looked at Kafei, who was frowning at him in confusion.

"You've seen it fall? You mean, in a vision or something?" Link shook his head. "Then how?" Link took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He had known that he would have had to tell this story eventually, but he hadn't expected it to be so soon. Reaching inside his tunic, he pulled out his ocarina, which he worn on a length of string around his neck.

"There are things I should tell you before I explain that, is that okay?" He glanced at the boy next to him out of the corner of his eye, someone who he was beginning to consider a friend, and saw him nod. He took another breath, then launched into his story about how the Skull Kid had stolen his ocarina, how he had been turned into a deku shrub, had been forced to stay in town by the guards because he was a 'child', befriended the Bombers gang to get the Moon's Tear gem for the Deku living in the golden flower and had to use that same flower to gain entrance into the Clock Tower on the night of the Festival of Time to get his ocarina back.

"Wait. The Festival hasn't happened yet. It's in about four months." _Four months…so soon._

"When I first got here, the Festival happened within three days of my arrival." Kafei looked mildly perplexed and Link fiddled with his ocarina for a moment before continuing. "That ties in with how I know the moon will fall. When I fought with Skull Kid, he dropped my ocarina, but even though I had gotten it back, there wasn't any more time. You see, Skull Kid had stolen a mask, one that kinda looks like a heart with thorns sticking out of it, and was, is, using the magic in it to make the moon fall." Kafei's eyes widened.

"That's the imp that placed this curse on me!" he exclaimed, throwing a dirty look up at the moon. Link blinked a few times and cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"Curse? You're under a curse?" Kafei looked at him for a moment, then looked away and nodded.

"I'm not really a child. I'm actually seventeen. That imp appeared before me the night I had finished making my wedding ceremony mask, the same one that was stolen by that thief. My fiancée had been badgering me about finishing it, so I did it early to surprise her, but when I was on my way to show it to some of my friends, the imp reverted me back to a child and said, while laughing, that I'd never age again. Which is why I'm hiding here," he gestured to the little door, "until I can find a way to break the curse."

By the time he finished his story, Link was seeing red. He wasn't sure why he was so angry, but the sadness in Kafei's eyes made him want to protect the other boy, even if it meant his own life. He hadn't felt that way since… Link mentally shook himself, not willing to remember something so painful, then looked Kafei in the eyes, sapphire boring into ruby. "I'll make him pay for what he did to you, I swear it." Kafei's eyes widened fractionally and a soft blush appeared on his face before those blood-colored eyes closed and the boy shook his head a little.

"Anyway, how did you… how did this already happen when the Festival is months away? It doesn't make sense." He questioned with a frown. Link held up his ocarina so Kafei could see it better.

"This ocarina is one of a kind. When you play it, things happen, similar to magic. Certain songs do certain things. I happen to know a song called the Song of Time. Despite its name, it didn't control time when I learned it; back then, it was only the key to open the door to the Temple of Time. But now, for some reason, it does. When I played it the morning I fought Skull Kid, it sent me back through time by almost four months," he paused to put his ocarina back under his tunic and looked up at the moon once more. "The only reason why I'm still here in town is because I have to stop that thing from killing everyone and get that mask back for the Happy Mask Salesman…And of course to help you get your own mask back."

"But…how are you planning on stopping that thing? I mean, no offence, but you're just a kid." Link smirked and stood, stretching.

"That, my friend, is a story for another time," he stated mysteriously. Then he held out his hand to help Kafei up as well. After getting to his feet, Kafei regarded the other boy questioningly. He wanted to know what Link meant, but decided it was best to drop it for now.

"It's getting late. I should get back to the Inn before it closes," Link said, glancing up at the moon once more. He looked over at Kafei to see his eyes shining a little and frowned. "Why is it every time I mention the Inn, you get upset?"

Kafei looked down, then shrugged. Link's frown deepened.

"Kafei…please tell me." His friend sighed, and he finally looked up, his eyes still bright.

"You remember me mentioning I have a fiancée?" Link nodded. "The woman who runs the Inn is the one I was referring to."

"Anju is your fiancée?" Link asked, eyes wide. Kafei blinked.

"You know her?" Link nodded again.

"Yeah, I talk to her often. She's really nice, but she always seemed a bit sad whenever I'd talk to her…" _And now I know why. If Anju is Kafei's fiancée, she probably thinks he's avoiding her._

"You haven't mentioned me, have you?"

Link shook his head. "She's mentioned having a fiancée a couple of times, but other than that you never came up. I get the feeling you don't want me to tell her about you?" Kafei looked down, his hair covering his face.

"Yeah… I know she's worried, and she probably thinks I abandoned her, but I don't want her to see me like this." Link watched him with a worried frown, then noticed his shoulders were shaking slightly. Unable to resist and acting completely on impulse, Link pulled Kafei into a gentle hug. He felt Kafei go still, but he didn't let go. After a few seconds, he felt Kafei relax and lean into the soft embrace.

"Don't worry," Link whispered against his hair, rubbing his back a little. "I won't tell her until you want me to, okay?"

"Thank you, Link," he heard Kafei murmur gently against his shoulder. He smiled softly, then released the other boy and stepped back.

"I'll see you tomorrow so we can continue looking for your mask, okay?" Kafei nodded and Link raised a hand in farewell before turning and exiting the Laundry Pool.

-x:x-

"Hey, Link?" The boy in question looked over at his golden companion.

"What?"

"I don't think you should spend all day with Kafei today. Don't forget, we still have three temples and Giants to find. I think we should be more focused on that instead of looking for some dumb mask." Link almost growled at her. It was the next day, and as promised, he was heading back to the Laundry Pool to help Kafei.

"Kafei's mask isn't 'dumb', Tatl," he ground out. "And I know we should be looking for the temples and Giants, I just don't feel like fighting until I have some sort of lead with that thief, though. Besides, what if that creep comes back and targets Kafei again? Who knows what that guy would do." He heard Tatl huff before she started bouncing off his head. "Ow! Hey, cut it out! Tatl!" She continued bouncing until he started swatting at her to get her to stop.

"You gonna do what I told you to do?" He could just imagine her having her hands on her hips, but he didn't care. If looks could kill, the look he sent her would've had her dropping like a stone into a pond. This made her start bouncing off his head again. He sighed and swatted at her again.

"Okay, okay! Just let me at least tell him where I'm going first?" She huffed again.

"Fine, but make it quick. I'll wait-" Tatl looked around noticing that Link had already left. She sighed. "One of these days, kid. I swear…"

-x:x-

Kafei looked at his friend in surprise. "You're heading up to Snowhead?"

Link nodded. "I know I promised I'd help you find your mask, but Tatl wants me to focus on finding out how to stop that moon. There's something I need in Snowhead that'll help."

"The weather is really bad there, right now. The winter's been longer than usual for them this year," Kafei said, concerned for the golden haired boy. He couldn't help remembering what had happened last time Link had left town. He'd come back bleeding so much that he could've died from it. Link was his first real friend in a long time. What would he do if he lost him? The thought alone tore at Kafei's heart. Link must've seen how much he was worried, for he smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry so much. The Goddesses made me pretty tough. And Farore herself watches over me personally, so I'll be all right. And besides, the bad weather is the reason I'm going to Snowhead." Kafei blinked, momentarily confused. Goddesses? Farore? Then he remembered one of the first conversations he had with him. Link wasn't from Termina. He was from some faraway kingdom called Hyrule, where people worshiped three Goddesses instead of the four Guardians like they did here. If he remembered correctly, Farore was the Hyrulian Goddess of wind and courage, Din was the Goddess of fire and power, and Nayru was the Goddess of water and wisdom. Then he became confused again.

"Why would the weather be the reason you're going to Snowhead? Don't people tend to _avoid_ bad weather?" Link smirked a bit at the exasperation in Kafei's voice, then nodded.

"Yeah, and if I had a choice, I'd avoid it too. But the bad weather is an indication of something wrong happening. I'm going to head to Snowhead temple to see if Majora is behind it, like in Woodfall." Kafei sighed, his concern returning. He didn't want Link to go, but he knew he wasn't going to be able to convince him not to. Suddenly, he felt arms going around him and pulling him close. Link was hugging him again. Just like last night, it felt comforting and wonderful, like Link actually cared about him. With a small blush creeping across his cheeks, he closed his eyes and leaned against the other boy, bringing his own arms up to circle around Link's waist.

"Please, don't worry. I'll be careful, I promise." Kafei nodded against Link's shoulder, unable to give a verbal response. Link stepped back, that trademark carefree grin of his dancing across his lips. "I'll see you in a few days." With that, he was gone.

Kafei sank into the chair in front of his desk, resting his head and arms on the tabletop. Why did Link affect him like this? Whenever he was with the other boy, he was happier than he could ever remember, but when he was away, he became sad. Link's beautiful flaxen hair, his deep sapphire eyes, his carefree grin, all of it was starting to haunt Kafei in his sleep. But why?

-x:x-

Link shivered, sneezing twice. It was cold, and he was wearing nothing but his tunic and a pair of shorts. Reminded him of that damned Ice Cavern in Hyrule. _I should really start dressing warmer when I come to places like this._ He had already gotten Darunia's mask, the name still making him think of his friend back home, and was now working his way up to the entrance to the Temple.

He had been right; there was no doubt about it. Majora had already infected the other Guardians with dark magic, causing them to do terrible things while it pulled the moon from the sky. The thing that really irritated him, though, is that this mask seemed more bloodthirsty than Ganondorf had. He shivered again, but it wasn't from the cold, nor from fear. Oh, how he hated that man.

-x:x-

Even though Link screamed as he felt electricity shoot through his body again, he forced himself to stay on his feet. Luckily, Gorons had a thicker hide than most creatures, so he could stand the frequent strikes of lightning. But hell if this goat wasn't pissing him off. He ran and jumped, curling into a ball as he hit the ground, spinning in a way only a Goron could. One thing he liked about his Goron form that he had never seen before: he had spikes, and he used them for all they were worth.

Bouncing off a slope, Link soared through the air and landed right on Goht's back, crippling the beast and toppling it to the ground. He kept spinning, digging his spikes deeper into the mechanical nightmare's side. The thing was starting to smoke, which he took as a sign it was almost dead, if such a word could be used for a machine. It kicked out at him, hitting him on the back and sending him crashing into the wall. Slightly dazed, Link took a minute to steady himself, then looked for the goat.

The damn thing was running again, and he growled with annoyance. He was sick of this place, literally. He wouldn't be surprised if he had a fever for the next few days. He had been here for at least a week, three of those days spent resting after the time he'd fallen in that room with the platforms. He curled into a spiked ball once more, catching up with Goht in a matter of seconds. He got next to the creature and bounced, turning sharply, one of his longest spikes biting into the back of Goht's neck, and that's all it took. The creature let out a bellow and began running faster, flinging its head side to side before crashing headlong into a wall.

Link removed his mask, wincing as his body readjusted itself. "Well, at least that's over…"

-x:x-

It had only been a week and a half, but it seemed a lot longer to Kafei. He refused to admit it, but it was obvious: his missed his friend. He'd said he'd be back in a few days, and here it was almost two weeks later, and he was still gone. Kafei tossed the stone he was holding into the Pool, watching the ripples bounce off the sides and collide with each other. After Link had been gone for a few days, he went back to not sleeping, and yesterday he hadn't been able to eat anything.

He was worried. Link hadn't been gone this long last time. What if something bad had happened to him? Kafei growled and shook his head. _Stop thinking like that, you moron. He's fine, it's probably just taking him longer to find what he's looking for._

This was beginning to drive him crazy. He was close to saying to hell with it and going up to Snowhead to look for him, but he knew he'd just get in the way. The last thing he wanted was Link to get hurt because of him. Or at all, for that matter. Another thing that got him was that, ever since Link left, that's all he had been able to think about. He hadn't even been worried about his mask! And Anju was the furthest thing from his mind. But those shouldn't surprise him, seeing as he finally figured out why Link was haunting his dreams.

He liked the other boy. It was that simple, but then again it wasn't. He was in love with Anju, wasn't he? So then, why did he feel about Link the way he did? He couldn't let Link distract him from the woman he loved. Anju was pretty, smart, and while she wasn't the greatest cook in the world, she made up for it with her enthusiasm to do better.

But Link was…attractive (_okay, more than attractive, more like someone who was cute now but would grow into someone devastatingly beautiful_ he thought), somewhat clumsy at times, witty, and was a great conversationalist. But he was a child. Or was he? Kafei wasn't so sure. At times, Link acted his age, but other times, especially when he was lost in thought and didn't know Kafei was watching him, he seemed older than he appeared. And his eyes… People always said the eyes were the windows to the soul, and if that were true, Link's soul was as old as time itself. He had eyes no eleven-year-old should have. And they took Kafei's breath away.

He sighed heavily and picked up another rock, about to throw it into the Pool when footsteps made him freeze. He wasn't wearing his mask, since it was late evening and most people came here in the early morning, and he _really _didn't want to be seen without it. Especially since there were only three people who'd come here this late: Link, Ric -the Curiosity Shop owner, and Anju. Since Link was still away from town, and Ric wouldn't have any reason to come out here other than to check on him, he figured it was Anju. He dropped the rock into the Pool with a splash and sprinted over to the door, trying not to slam it shut behind him. He leaned against the door for a minute, trying to get his breathing under control, and was about to head up the stairs when he heard someone knock.

"Maybe he's already asleep? It is pretty late, after all." The voice sounded annoyed, like it didn't want to be there, and it was a voice he knew. There was a moment of silence before he heard another irritated voice respond.

"Tatl, shut up." Kafei felt his heart soar. He was about to rip the door open and throw his arms around the other boy before decorum stopped him. He paused a moment to gain some self-control and opened to door calmly to reveal Link's smiling face. "Hi there." He couldn't help but smile back.

"Hi." Kafei moved away from the door and up the stairs, leaving Link to close the door and follow him, which he did, but his golden friend opted to stay outside.

"It's too stuffy in there for me," he heard her say before Link closed the door. Once Link reached the top of the stairs, Kafei smiled at him again.

"She doesn't like me, does she?" Link looked at him, surprised, and was about to say something when he closed his mouth and shook his head.

"No, not really. Then again, Tatl doesn't really like anyone except for her little brother, Tael." Kafei blinked.

"Her brother's name is Tael?" Link started giggling and nodded, which made Kafei laugh.

-x:x-

Kafei was laughing. Sure, over the week he spent with Kafei, Link had heard him chuckle on occasion, but to actually here him laugh… It was one of the most wonderful sounds Link had ever heard in his life. And the sound made Link laugh, too.

"That's really weird," Kafei said, looking at Link, his eyes still shining with mirth. Link nodded again, unable to do anything else except stare at the boy in front of him. Kafei noticed him staring and blinked. "What?"

Link blushed a little and looked away. "It's nothing."

Kafei raised an eyebrow, then smirked and snatched Link's hat off his head. This caused the hero to squeak a little and flail.

"Hey, Kafei! Give me my hat back!" He tried to grab it, but Kafei hid it behind his back.

"I'll give it back, on two conditions," he said, still smirking. Link looked at him, feeling a little flustered. He didn't really like people touching his hat, especially this one since it was a gift from Saria. But, the smirk on Kafei's lips made him play along.

"Okay, what are the conditions?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest. Kafei's smirk faded a little, a small blush creeping across his cheeks, before the smirk returned.

"One: You have to tell me what you were thinking when you were staring at me." Now it was Link's turn to blush, but he tried to hide it by acting cool, which failed miserably, so he gave up.

"A-and the second condition?" _Oh, jeez. Get a grip, Link!_ He watched Kafei's eyes dart to the floor before he looked back up.

"Tell me the first one first." Link chewed on his lip. He couldn't lie. Kafei had been right before; he was bad at it. So, he told the truth. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and reached out to touch Kafei's cheek, trailing his thumb under the other boy's eye.

"I was staring at your eyes. They sparkle when you're laughing; they looked beautiful." His face had gone red, he could feel it, but so had Kafei's, and Link would be damned if he said he didn't think it was the cutest thing ever. "So, what's the second condition?"

Kafei blinked a few times, like he couldn't remember what it was, but when he did his face matched the color of his eyes. "Um…" He looked down, biting on his lip. Link waited somewhat patiently. When Kafei met his eyes again, his were shining with a determination that Link hadn't seen there before. "Kiss me."

Link felt is eyes go wide, and he almost dropped his hand out of pure shock. Kafei stood there, his face still red, his eyes still shining with determination, and Link felt himself cave. Smiling a little, his heart pounding, he leaned down and kissed the other boy on the mouth, and felt himself fall over the edge completely when Kafei kissed back.


End file.
